SUBURBAN VAMPIRE RAGNAROK by Franklin Posner – Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Political Intrigue

Franklin Posner gives readers an adventurous dark urban fantasy filled to the brim with vampires, werewolves, black-eyed kids, and even Sasquatches in his novel Suburban Vampire Ragnarok.

Here is a fully realized underworld of vampire factions and governments along with ancient organizations tasked with keeping track of the paranormal.

The story opens in the past, with Scott Campbell’s father capturing a German bunker during World War II. This section is reminiscent of F. Paul Wilson’s The Keep and Saving Private Ryan with a little taste of Indiana Jones. After they find a handful of mysterious artifacts, the story then jumps forward a generation to Scott, the suburban vampire working in tech support in the Pacific Northwest.

Scott’s life is complicated. Between a recent divorce, living with his widowed mother, and working for an over-controlling boss he has plenty to deal with.

On top of that, he is a vampire who must suppress the urge to feed on human blood.

Something sinister stirs behind the scenes of the vampire political world. Jack, the vampire who turned Scott against his will in hopes of using him in a diabolical coup, still has followers hidden in the vampire government. As Elizabeth and Jeremiah, vampire enforcers, hunt down the last of Jack’s sirelings and try to root out someone embedded within the vampire council, Scott falls deeper into the machinations of an evil plot and must fight to protect those he cares for.

Posner explores themes of coming to terms with a new life.

Scott’s life has changed drastically in many ways, and becoming a vampire is only one of them. After his divorce, his mother is encouraging him to get back out there and see new people.

Scott does slip a few times, but he learns from his mistakes and the guilt they bring him. He also learns to trust those who still want to be part of his life, even when they know the monster that he has become. He knows that to be near him is dangerous, but, ultimately, it is their choice.

There are a few spots where the tone of the story becomes a little too light in contrast to the tension of the scene, but the story and drama behind that tension are strong.

Readers will marvel at the fully realized world presented in this book.

The political complexity of the many organizations, governments, and agencies make for exciting power plays and relationships. Plus, readers will delight with the handful of cryptids who play roles, both small and large, throughout.

Readers hungry for vampires with intricate and grounded struggles will be pleased with Franklin Posner’s twisty tale of supernatural creatures in a modern world.

Suburban Vampire Ragnarok by Franklin Posner won First Place in the 2018 CIBA Paranormal Book Awards for Supernatural and Paranormal Fiction.